Recently, wide television sets having an aspect ratio of 16:9 and image display sets with PDP are increasing in number. In order for an image source having the aspect ratio of 4:3 to be fully displayed (in full mode display), it is necessary to provide an image magnifying circuit designed to extend the original image source in the horizontal direction.
With a conventional image magnifying circuit, the input image data is enlarged in the horizontal direction at a certain magnification or the magnification rate is set so that it gradually increases towards both ends in the horizontal direction.
However, with the conventional method, in which the input image data is enlarged in the horizontal direction at a certain magnification, the original image is enlarged only in the horizontal direction at a certain magnification, so that it is not possible to enlarge different areas (e.g. the image divided into n number of areas) of an image at different magnifications respectively, thereby restricting the flexibility in producing various image effects, the n being 2 or any one of larger integers.
Further, the conventional method is designed only to process the input image data so that the nearer towards both ends in the horizontal direction, the greater the magnification in the horizontal direction, and so it is not possible to enlarge different areas of the image, resulting from dividing an image into n number of areas, at different magnifications, thereby restricting the freedom of producing various image effects.
The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional method and intended for providing an image magnifying circuit capable of magnifying the different areas divided into n number of an image at different magnifications in the horizontal direction so that various image effects can be obtained.
For instance, the present invention is intended for producing various image effects such as a panoramic-view effect from a given image by enabling the different areas of a picture, divided into n number of areas, to be enlarged at gradually increasing magnifications towards both horizontal ends, or a fisheye-view image effect by enabling different areas of a picture, divided into n portions, to be reduced at a gradually increasing reduction rate towards both horizontal ends.